Empty Mirror
by I'm known as Xana
Summary: My retelling of Dragon Age Inquisition. Ma'Rel's life was one he never considered to be normal. Being a half elven mage who was dropped off to the Dalish at a very young age due to his world-weary parents didn't add to his confidence in others. Now he was tasked with sealing a hole in the sky by the very people he swore wanted him dead. Summary may change. Possible minor OOC, AU
1. Prologue - Kill My Memory

**Empty Mirror**

**AN: Yo. This is the first story I have posted on here in years and have been fiddling around with this idea for a minute now. That being said, this is also my first attempt to writing a multi-chaptered story so any criticism is welcome. Updates will be slow and irregular due to outside influences but I will try my hardest to finish it. Finally, this will be posted here as well as on my blog so if someone actually stumbles upon it.**

**Warnings: Spoilers for Dragon Age Inquisition, Gore, Mental Health Triggers, possible OOC, AU, Language**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, save for Ma'rel. **

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**Prologue - Kill My Memory**

Life was a lot of things. Time and time again, history had shown to its unwilling audience that would follow a depressingly predicable pattern. Almost as if it was on a constant repeat, a never ending loop.

The pattern played out, each and every time, the same way. Someone, or maybe a group of someones would appear with some kind of alteration that set them apart from what was considered the norm of the time. These individuals, having then been feared or misunderstood by the vocal minority who in response refuse to learn and understand, would then proceed to be shackled and leashed by overseers to repress their otherwise remarkable ability.

From there, one thing would then lead to another and the oppressed group would proceed to revolt against their jailers. Following that, the rest would be history, a long and drawn out bloody squabble until one group was left dead or peace was temporarily brokered. Whichever was to come, it would only be temporarily, the peace or slaughter, until the cycle repeated anew.

A peace treaty, one hastily brought on with the rise of rebelling mages, apostates if you would, against their opposition, the Templars, was where time's current cycle stood. For years, the mages fought tooth and nail against their Templar captors. Clawing away at The Magi Circles that had spent centuries suppressing their magical abilities, caging them up in towers to watch them like little rats in a maze.

The revolt left blood, of both the aggressors and innocents, soaked in the fields and cities as paranoia ran rampant through the streets and countryside. So long did it drag on and so much blood had been spilt, that the Divine, the closest thing to their God, finally decided she needed to step in.

So the Divine, Justinia, sent out a call for The Conclave, a meeting between mages and Templars alike on a neutral ground at the only sacred place she could think of, The Temple of Sacred Ashes. The temple was well known throughout Ferelden, throughout Thedas in general, for its housing of people believed to be the ashes of the Holy Andraste, the Maker's mortal wife.

So Templars and mages traveled far and wide to meet at the temple, all coming under one ceiling in the religious temple. Before them, stood a much older and wiser looking woman, the Divine herself, as she watched in silent gratitude at the men and women who had set their differences aside to meet and humor the idea of peace. It gave the older woman much needed hope that even though it may be for not, there were still people out there who didn't see all the violence and death as a necessity.

As the large group of opposing people started to settle down, they were unaware of a third, uninvited party watching in rapt attention as they sat silently above on one of the many large tall pillars.

The figure was that of a male, elven in descent judging by the pointed ears that poked out from his snow white hair. He wore a dark shaded and hooded mercenary's coat, almost crimson in color, that clung from his lanky body loosely. A dark grey scarf was wrapped protectively around his neck , pulled up to obscure a majority of his scarred and tattooed face, leaving only his amber eyes and upper forehead visible to those who would have seen him.

Had anyone were to have seen the ashen grey skinned elf, they would not assume that he was one of the Dalish, no they would've instead probably assumed he was a hired assassin, sent to murder such high ranking officials, sent by the opposing side. In reality however, his presence was much more mundane in nature and rather more self serving in the grand scheme of it all. Not that it mattered one way or another to him.

Whether or not the Divine realized it or not, this meeting would not be soon forgotten in history. Regardless of whether or not similar feats had been done in the past was after all beside the point. Today would be engraved in history, either as the day that finally resolved the mage and Templar conflict or as the day with the last spark of hope for peaceful coexistence was squandered.

So it was, as he watched boredly as the people below him shuffled around and idly chatted amongst themselves, he resisted the urge to twitch his gloved hands uncomfortably. He didn't know why, but he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Whilst there was no external sign outside of the expected tension in the large room, there was a slight tug in the air around him. All he knew was that whatever it was, it made his skin practically crawl like invisible insects were scurrying up and down it.

Maybe it was just his own anxiety, brought on by being in the temple unannounced. Maybe it was brought on by the large amount of Templars who looked ready to cut down any apostate in their wake. Maybe -

A loud explosion and muffled screams broke the tense air in a split second, tearing the elf from his thoughts. What happened next was far too much for his brain to be able to comprehend all at once. First, a large green swirl of energy appeared right before his perch and preceded to bring the Temple's stone wall crashing down in each direction. Along with that, the pillars that dotted the room also began to crumble and fall, including the one he was situated on.

As he fell to the ground far below, he couldn't help but shriek in pain as the condensed energy burned and singed his outstretched hands. Pain, that of which he had never imagined before erupted from the burnt skin and coursed through his body.

He landed in a pile of rubble with a hard thud and he laid as his ears rang from the barrage of sound on his eardrums. He opened his eyes, not realizing they had closed and widened them in fear as he shakenly sat up. Despite his vision beyond distorted and blurred, he could clearly see part of the ceiling coming straight for his prone body.

Instinctively, he squeezed them shut again, as if the notion would protect him, and waited for the inevitable end.

One heartbeat turned into two then three, the passage of time slightly distorting on itself as he found himself amongst the living once more. Confused, he opened his eyes and glanced around for some answers. Instead he found himself sitting atop a small mountain of stone and debris his skin faintly glowing light blue from the infusion patterns that marred his body.

He scoffed at the turn of events but decided to use this time to assist his surroundings. Above him, the concentration of green energy swirled and contacted before expanding slightly as an influx of demons and spirits slipped out of the opening. Almost as the sky itself had been torn open and the Fade, the spirit world, itself was bleeding into his.

Glancing around him as the demons rushed by him, ignoring his existence in their excitement, he couldn't help but frown. All around him, for as far as he could see from his elevated spot, was an endless sea of glowing embers and the charred remains from all those unlucky enough to have been present.

_'Such a waste of life,'_ he thought mutely, _'even if they were all fools fighting a losing battle.'_

_"Child."_ A soft voice whispered after what felt like ages of him staring at the countless corpses around him. As the glowing scars on his body began to fade to pale once more, he found his senses refocusing in their equilibrium. It was due to this he was only just barely able to pick up the near inaudible voice whispering out to his.

He spun around, too quickly in his opinion as a wave of dizziness came over him, and scanned the landscape around him. Behind him was a large group of stair steps, one that he had not noticed before in his prior survey of his surroundings. The monolith of steps were unstable looking at best, but that was not what caught his initial attention. No, what peaked his interest was what was presented at the very peak of the steps.

It was a large golden light, almost as if it were emulating the sun, nearly blinding him as his vision attempted to adjust to the sudden light. However, that was not the end of the oddity. Walking out of the light was what he could only assume was a female human. The figure was humanoid in shape and looked to be wearing what the Chantry sisters would wear on a regular basis. However, he had his doubts on his initial assessment of her, or was it an it, being human. The figure was almost like an embodiment of the green energy seeping out of the year that had appeared, as if it were made from the same kind of energy or magic.

_"Child, it is not safe here."_ The figure whispered once again, her arm extending towards his sitting form as she did so.

_'No shit.'_ he thought back bitterly, deciding not to retort aloud in a rare show of self restraint.

Despite his attitude though, he was still slightly hesitant, he didn't know whether or not he should approach the figure. Not knowing whether or not they were a potential ally or a foe like the countless demons scurrying around him didn't aid in his decision. However, that being said, he also knew that he couldn't stay here forever. As much as he wished to just sit atop his pile of rubble for all eternity until the demons eventually noticed him, he however also knew that the idea of being possessed was very unappealing.

As he stared mutely at the glowing figure, weighing his odds with the choice, he heard another loud explosion and crash from behind and glanced over his shoulder. A demon, much larger and bulkier in stature compared to the wrath and other spirits, was staring at him with great interest in it's yellow eyes.

**"We have an unwelcome guest..slay the elf."** A deep voice commanded from beyond the hazy fog. Following the disembodied voices words, it didn't take him long to realize that the beast had spotted him as it let loose an ear shattering roar of acknowledgement as it started walking slowly in his direction.

He was no stranger to demons and their intent with the living. He knew what was to come and it was with great reluctance he decided to humor the mysterious figure that was still calling out to him, this time more urgently.

He hoisted himself to his feet, biting back a yelp as renewed pain surged through his body as he did so, and took a staggering step forward. However, whether it was due to misjudgment on the extent of his injuries or the unstable rubble beneath him, his leg buckled and he fell forward, rolling down the pile until he landed on solid ground with a silent thud. He cursed his luck silently to himself and groaned as he steadied himself up on his hands and knees, his hair obscuring his eyes. However he did not have long to catch his breath and curse the universe as the ground shook and another roar of anger was heard.

Scrambling to his feet ungracefully, he glanced back at the demon who was bonding towards him at a much faster pace than before. He let out a small curse underneath his breath at a jolt of pain in his side and turned back to face the towering staircase before him. Stealing his expression for the pain to come he broke out into a half sprint.

He proceeded to half sprint, half limp across the uneven terrain, biting his lip to keep back a scream as white hot pain surged through his body with each step. Blood trickled down his chin as he dug in with his teeth into the flesh, his eyes instead betraying his agony. Behind him, he could hear the demon, hot on his trail, it's loud footfalls growing closer and closer with each passing heartbeat that pounded loudly in his ears.

It took all he had to not instinctively turn around as he stumbled to the base of the staircase, his breath labored and shallow. Doing so, he knew, would waste precious seconds that he needed if he were to somehow get to safety. So instead, he began to scramble up the stone monolith, quickly losing his footing as his leg buckled again. However, instead of assessing the damage to his limb, he proceeded to continue his trec up the stairs, climbing on hands and knees, both slowly turning red as stones and other debris cut into his skin.

As he neared the mysterious figure at the top, he saw her bend down slowly and reach out a hand to him. He dared to let himself feel a small spark of hope, as foreign as the concept was, as he slowed his ascent to the woman. However, this move proved to be fatal, as just as he was outstretching one of his blood soaked hands, he felt a clawed appendage grasp his injured leg, pulling at him suddenly.

_"Child!"_ He gasped in surprise and glanced down, the only thing saving him was a reflexive response to grab onto the rocks to prevent his decent. He was momentarily stunned to see the demon digging its claws into his flesh, soaking the beast's scaled limb with his blood.

**"Do not let him escape!"** As he kicked the demon with his free leg in vain, he was brought back to his original goal by the sound of the voice from the fog. Gritting his teeth as he turned his head away from his assailant, he outstretched his hand again. He could feel his muscles screaming in protest as his extended arm strained to reach the other's.

Time seemed to freeze as inch by inch, his hand finally found hers, and with a swift motion, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. The demon, just as startled as he was, released the elf and attempted clambered after the two in renewed anger. He had no time to react or begin to comprehend what was happening, as for as soon as he was pulled forward, he was instantly blinded. All he could hear was the raging demon and the incoherent whispers of the female humanoid.

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"-that?"

"-urvior, an elf! I don't recognize those Vallaslin though.."

"-ook at his hand."

The albino felt the ringing in his ears slowly subside as he found himself staggering through rubble. His body was on fire and his head pounded as his vision attempted to focus.

As he glanced up, releasing his hold on what remained of a wall subconsciously, he saw armed figures walking cautiously towards his swaying form. He outstretched his burning hand, the corner of his distorted vision catching the cracking green energy coming out of it, before his body gave way underneath him and he collapsed where he stood. As his broken and bloodied frame hit the ground, all he could do was inhale sharply as his head hit a piece of what was once a statue. As consciousness quickly left him, he could hear a hauntingly familiar voice whisper in his ear.

_'Stay strong young Ma'rel.'_

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**AN: Thanks again for reading, I hope that you all enjoyed! **


	2. Chapter 1 - Shattered

**AN: This is Chapter One of 'Empty Mirror'. I plan on breaking events into multiple shorter chapters instead of one huge chapter due to being easier to edit/ proof read, etc. Anyways I hope you enjoy.**

**Warnings: Spoilers for Dragon Age Inquisition, Language, Protentional Triggers, Mild Gore, and Protentional OOC.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, save for Ma'rel. **

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**Chapter One - Shattered**

Life was something of a cruel prank to himself. That was the first thing he thought as he regained consciousness. A prolonged game that he was forced to partake in as it threw its arrows and stones at his body and mind. A joke that had lost its appeal so long ago, taunting him with false promises and lies.

As he opened his amber eyes, wincing slightly at the pain that made itself known to him, he blinked and looked around him. He was in some kind stone dungeon, lit fires from the surrounding torches illuminating the armored guards that circled around his seated form, swords drawn to him.

As much as he wanted to silently glare at them in return though, he fragile focus was turned elsewhere as he felt a jolt of burning pain erupted from his hand, adding to the ghost of dull pain that throbbed in his legs. Grunting slightly, he raised his shackled and bound hands up and glanced at them in curiosity. Much to his amazement, his left hand bore what looked like a tear in the middle of his palm, glowing and crackling with green energy as similarly smaller tendrils were woven into the rest of the limb. They almost reminded him of spider webs, sown into the limb, weaving up and around his paler blue brands that littered his body.

As he continued to regain his senses, he couldn't help but feel like something was off. Almost like something other than the current predicament that he was finding himself in. But what?

He trailed his eyes wearily around him, quickly scanning the stone room for the source of his unease. There was nothing out of the norm, well nothing that couldn't be expected considering. So instead he glanced down at his body.

He was on his knees, his pants torn and frayed in various spots with dried blood in some patches, his exposed skin showing small lacerations and burns. His coat, the very one he had stolen off a corpse on his way to the temple was in no better state. While it had been worse for wear when he obtained it, it was now falling apart on him, bits of his torso showing through the fabric. He guessed he should be glad that it held together despite it all. His scarf wouldn't-.

He paused and scanned over his body before letting out a shaking sigh. It was missing, much to his disdain, and he didn't know where to begin to look for it. He knew logically that the chances of ever finding it, let alone getting the chance to find them was slim to none. He just couldn't help but be silently disappointed. It was all he had left of his life before. A small reminder of what he had lost years ago.

While he was lost in his own musings and critical analysis of his plight, he failed to hear the door that was situated in front of him open. He didn't notice as the guards around him slowly relaxed and left following the footsteps of two new people. While his ears had picked up the sounds, he didn't truly comprehend it until he felt a tight from the back of his jacket, choking him slightly as the aggressor yanked his body up.

Frantically, his amber eyes shot to what his mind perceived to be a threat, and quickly assessed his opponent. It was hard to make out every little detail from the glow of the torches around him, but he could make out enough to get a fair assessment.

The figure was a female, human from what he could tell, with tanned skin and short dark hair. He could also make out a nasty scar that ran from her left cheek down to the woman's chin.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?" She asked, the anger in her voice matching the rage that was festering in her dark eyes, as she released her grip on him. Ma'rel hit the ground and gasped for air subconsciously. He wished he could strangle her in return for that but also knew that it would be a moot point in his current predicament.

As the oxygen returned to his brain after a few heartbeats, he finally was finally able to comprehend the question that he was asked by the angry woman.

Returning his gaze to his hand that crackled slightly for a moment, he snorted softly to himself. He shook his head before returning to match the woman's glare, remaining definitely quiet to her question. He knew from previous experience that questions such as this were redundant. From what he had learned, it was a way to intimidate whoever was being asked, a fear tactic.

Unfortunately for her though, fear was the last thing he was feeling right now. No, instead of fear, he found himself feeling more annoyed and inconvenienced at most.

At his silent defiance, she scoffed at grabbed him again, this time by his bound hands. He was pulled up again, the glow of his hand illuminating her face.

"Explain this." She demanded harshly as she yanked his body up roughly before letting him dangle in that awkward half crouch.

"I can't. Sorry to disappoint." He hissed, finally accepting that silence wouldn't serve him in any beneficial way. His voice was hoarse, and his throat felt raw, reminding him almost of someone who was deprived of water. However, instead of complaining about it, he instead bit his tongue. No, he rather chose to use that moment to observe the woman's posture, a habit he picked up over his life in order to determine friend and foe.

How one would carry themselves and how they spoke gave more information than most would think. While her body was bent slightly from holding his, thus compromising her posture, the sharp and assertive tone in her voice gave him a basic picture of how she was. The woman, from their short interaction and his brief analysis, was one who demanded complete control of a situation. One who expected immediate respect from any and everyone who crossed her path.

Scoffing again she released her hold on his shackles at his lack of answer and he fell once again to the ground, dazing him slightly.

Following that, she began to rant, and in his mind, lecture him on what had happened at The Temple of Sacred Ashes. Apparently there had been an unexplainable explosion, killing everyone in attendance, including the current Divine herself, Justinia. Meanwhile, the temple itself had been leveled and the middle was a large tear in the sky.

While the breach, as they were calling it, slowly expended, rifts started popping up all around Thedas. From these rifts, where the veil, or boundary between the living and the Fade, was weakened, demons were pouring out in the hundreds.

Ma'rel listened to the woman, watching as she paced in her anger. He was no fool where she was leading to with her _kind_ recap of events. Only a very dense person could miss the accusation in her voice. He could practically feel the weight of the guilt she was attempting to push onto his shoulders. After all, an unexplained explosion with only one survivor, an elf by all accounts, well it was only to be expected that he was the guilty party.

"Tragic as your little peace rally ended, I don't remember a damned thing." He said, sarcasm lacing his raspy voice as he spoke, effectively interrupting the pacing woman.

She paused at his words and narrowed her gaze before stalking towards him, unsheathing her sword from her waist. As she neared him, he instinctively tensed in anticipation for the incoming blow.

"Cassandra, no!" Before the strike came another woman rushed from out of the corner of his eye and intercepted who he presumed to be 'Cassandra'. He briefly wondered when the newcomer had come in, pondering and failing to recall her entering with his interrogator. However, he presumed that matter didn't matter at the current moment.

Cassandra protested to the woman, Leliana as her name turned out to be, that she wouldn't have done anything. The woman seemed to not believe that and went on to explain why the albino was needed. The mark on his hand had the potential to close the rifts that we're popping up uncontrollably around Thedas, and more importantly the Breach itself. He snorted softly to himself at his designated role but said nothing in response. No, he knew that any protest on his part would fall to deaf ears. That being said, he instead took this time to study his 'rescuer'.

From what he could tell from the illumination of the fires around him, the woman was pale skinned. He could see strands of what he guessed was red hair, but it was mostly obscured by a light purple hood. The hood itself seemed to be attached to the left side of her armor. Other than that, though, from what he could see, it was standard steel armor in his opinion and nothing worth noting.

After some back and forth between the two women about his fate, Leliana walked back out of his makeshift cell. While he was hardly paying attention to the exchange, he did catch Cassandra ordering her to meet them at the Forward Camp, situated closer to the rift.

As the redhead disappeared, closing the door behind her, he was slightly startled when Cassandra herself rushed forward again and knelt down before him. He could only watch, slightly stunned as she unlocked the shackles to his wrists and helped him to his feet.

After a moment of stumbling, his limbs surprisingly weaker than he remembered, he was able to find his footing and stood firm. He naturally slouched to an angle but even then, he couldn't help but amusingly note that he was a good few inches taller than his jailor.

"C'mon." She muttered, placing one of her hands on his shoulder before moving him towards the door. He complied and followed her lead, flinching and turning his head as the doors opened, blinding him with the sudden increase in light.

As he stepped outside, he listened to the door close behind him and took a deep breath. The air out here was coated in with the scent of stale blood and ashes but was still far better than the stale air of his cell.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the lightning after a few moments, he was able to take in his surroundings.

He was standing on some concrete pathway with the snow-covered landscape surrounding the small encampment. As he turned his gaze to the greyish blue sky, he almost recoiled in shock.

There in the middle of the cloud covered sky was a large green tear with shades of yellow and black swirling around it. To say it was large would've been an understatement. While he was no expert on judging the sizes of such things, he knew that it could at least cover the size of a small town easily. That assessment was why he was wondering why they were worried about it expanding. From his brief scan of it, he could see it was mostly stable.

'_Leave it to shems to overreact.' _he thought bitterly.

As he was about to open his mouth to Cassandra and voice his snide thoughts, there was a moment of pause when the breach cracked to life suddenly with a burst of raw energy, he was startled with the surge of pain coursing through his veins.

He collapsed to the ground, his scream if anguish causing Cassandra to release her hold in surprise. The corner of his eye caught his own hand sparking with energy, and he turned his gaze to it. To his surprise and horror, he could see the webbed strands of green inching further and further up his arm through his torn sleeves as the pulsing died down and the pain subsided.

"This is why we need your help," Cassandra said as she helped him back to his feet, "the mark on your hand, it spreads every time the breach expands, and it is killing you."

"I wouldn't be that lucky," He muttered under his breath before speaking slightly louder, "I didn't sign up to help you shems with your hole in the sky."

"None of us asked for this," she snapped back, tugging him forward again. Rolling his eyes, the elf allowed himself to be led.

As the two walked through the makeshift encampment, Ma'rel couldn't help but take note of the surroundings. As he was led, he could see refugees and soldiers pause in what they were doing to stare at him. He could see the anger and disdain that blazed in their eyes. He could hear the soft whispering jeers directed to him as well as the scoffs of disgust.

"In their minds, they have already cemented your guilt," Cassandra said as she continued to lead them forward, ignoring the small mass of people forming behind them, "they want you executed for the destruction of the temple as well as Divine Justinia's death."

"So much for a fair trial, when's my sentence boss?" He asked, unable to completely mask the excitement in his voice, as they walked through a large wooden gate that two guards had been stationed at.

She didn't respond as they made it to the other side, the gate closing with a loud bang. He flinched and when he reopened his eyes, he noticed that Cassandra was now standing before him, watching him silently, her face expressionless.

"You will go on trial elf, innocent or not, you should've never been there, but first…" she trailed off and pulled out a small dagger from her side sheathe. He stood firm as she closed the short distance between them and sliced the ropes that still bound his hands before backing up again and sheathing her weapon.

As he subconsciously rubbed his wrists, she continued her previous thought, "first, whether or not you like it, that mark is the only chance we have to close the Breach."

"Not my problem _Cassandra,_" He sneered, the malice not quite reaching his amber eyes. His anger was not at her, nor was it at the humans if he was honest, rather just the situation in general.

"What is your problem then? Don't you care if that hole in the sky destroys the world? What about your friends and family?" She growled, her short fuse igniting at the sight of a small smirk on his scarred face.

"To answer those in order; you are my problem, why care for a pointless fight, and lastly, what of them?" He replied with a shrug.

The short haired woman stared at the albino for a moment. From what he could see of her mixed emotions, she was attempting to process what he had said. He doubted that his animosity towards her was what triggered her. No, that was probably mild compared to what she must have experienced.

It was, without a shadow of doubt, his complete disregard to the cataclysm they all faced. He knew the reason why his apathy was met with such a reaction and didn't blame her by any means. It was a natural response to such 'selfishness' as they put it.

However, this had no effect on changing his mind. While he could give her props for the attempt on pulling on his heartstrings, it still didn't change his mind. He just didn't give a shit whether or not the world ended, as harsh as it sounded.

However, he thought, pausing as he glanced at her still stunned face, maybe there could be some kind of compromise. He knew that saving the world essentially was not what he wanted to do, that was still the truth. But he also knew that his... unexpected survival was going to cause him issues in the long run. Execution didn't sound like a plausible outcome for him knowing his luck. That being said, he would most likely be released back to his clan and the fate he would suffer there would far worse than any death he could experience.

"How about this," he finally said, coming to an internal consensus with himself. Cassandra's facial expression hardened at his sudden words but said nothing, allowing him to continue. "I will help your lot with your little hole in the sky problem if you do something in return for me."

"And how exactly are you in a position to demand something from me or anyone right now?"

"I'm not but it is better than us both standing here until the world ends don't you think?"

She thought for a moment before giving a defeated sigh and nodding, "fine. What do you want?"

Turning his gaze back out towards the landscape, he glanced curiously at the Breach for a moment in silence before speaking once more.

"In exchange for helping, I want protection, no questions asked." He finished, extending his hand out, the one not marked from the unstable breach.

"I- fine deal." She said, extending her hand as well and grasping it hesitantly. He gave the woman a ghost of a smile and shook hers before letting go and returning it to his side.

He could see the confusion on her face at the deal they just made. He could practically hear all the questions burning on the tip of her tongue, but yet she said nothing. He was thankful for that. Questions were not going to get either of them anywhere right now and would only serve to waste time that neither of them had. So instead the silence and unspoken words were much appreciated.

As he shifted slightly in place, he sighed to himself. He knew that there was a chance that she wouldn't hold her end of the bargain. In fact, he had little doubt that she would go back into her word last minute, shems were good for that, but he knew he had little choice in the matter.

For now, he would reluctantly jump through whatever hoops they wished of him to, with mild complaint on his part. Then whenever the end came along with the inevitable betrayal from her empty words, he would deal with it then. But that was neither here nor now. Right now he was to play the role of their little willing hero.

"Lead the way," he said as he looked back up at her, not realizing he had let his gaze lower to the ground. Cassandra tensed subtly, startled slightly but nodded nonetheless.

"There will still be a trial, but after that I cannot promise nothing more..." she trailed off and shook her head, "let's just get to the Forward Camp and plan our next action for now."

He said nothing in response, deciding to not comment on the aspect of a trial. Instead he just nodded, content to allow her to lead, and motioned for her to do as such.

The woman turned heel, rolling her eyes slightly, and started to walk off. He just chuckled bitterly to himself and quietly followed.

As they walked through another set of large wooden gates, he found himself frowning slightly. His marked hand found its way to his bare neck and a wave of subdued grief washed over him for a brief moment.

It didn't last long though, as he quickly gritted his teeth and he clenched his fist to his side. What was done was done and he couldn't change it at all.

With another sigh, he shook his head and moved a stray strand of his white hair out of his eyes before picking up his pace to catch up with the woman.

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**Well you reached the end, welcome. There may be a slight delay in the next chapter considering some real life stuff that came up yesterday but shouldn't be a major delay (I say as I upload this story after what 5 years?) **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and like always criticism is welcome. **

**-Xana**


	3. Chapter 2 - Faultline

**Chapter Two - Faultline**

**AN:  
****Warning: AU, Possible OOC, Possible Triggers, Lanuage, Spoilers**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything save for Ma'Rel.**

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Ma'rel followed Cassandra quietly up the snow-covered path. He was partially lost in his own musings as they passed fleeing and terrified soldiers. Screams about the end of times and praying to the Maker to save them filled his sensitive ears.

He said nothing in response to the rather pathetic display. He assumed it was reasonable that they would be paralyzed in blinding terror. Survival instincts could cause even the bravest soldier to cower in fear after all, he presumed.

Coming to that mental conclusion, he reluctantly conceded to their actions. He still thought they were cowards by running away, however he could also understand why they did. The sky was torn open, demons pouring out of said hole, with no end to their countless numbers.

While he had yet to see a single demon himself, he could feel the tear in the veil. His skin instinctively crawled at the feeling of the massive energy rippling through the air and it made him want to grit his teeth in discomfort.

No, despite his attitude and general apathy towards helping the female before him, he still believed her. It was hard not to after all with the green tendrils crawling up his left arm and the massive chasm of energy in the sky. It wasn't a matter of belief or disbelief anymore. It was more a matter of long term planning that drove his motivation and thoughts.

He was not meant to get out of that conclave alive. At least his survival wasn't supposed to be this public. He knew that much for sure, and now that his survival was out in the open, it would only bring him problems in the months to come. However, he mused as he glanced at the woman leading them, he couldn't tell anyone the full extent of the situation. He'd rather the world think of him as a selfish prick who thought of no one but himself than have others pry into business not their own.

As he walked one, lost deep in thought, he was caught completely off guard as the pain in his hand flared to life once more. He couldn't help but yelp in surprise and collapse into the cold snow below, clutching his burning hand with his other one.

He could vaguely hear the sound of hurried footsteps approaching him above the deafening sound of the rift above. He thought it was one of the many soldiers who were fleeing to aid him, however much to his surprise he instead saw the steel boots of his captor.

He glanced up, his vision slightly blurred from the pain overloading his senses and could see her looking down at him. He couldn't make out what she was saying as she bent down, but he could make out the worry etched in her face. It was weird for her to be worried, he thought idly, but he guessed that it was only a means to an end for her as well. Without him, she had no way of possibly closing the breach in the sky.

So it was, with great reluctance, that he grabbed her extended hand as the pain subsided and allowed her to hoist him back to his feet. He couldn't hear what she was telling him still, something to do with the mark he assumed, all he could focus on was the now receding pain in his limb. Instead he mutely stared at her as it subsided before opening his mouth.

"That can't be good I assume." He said, his voice cracking slightly from the pain as he found his footing.

"Like I said, the pulses and expansions are becoming more frequent." She said in response, shaking her head.

"Right." Leaving her no room to continue the conversation, he continued up the hill towards what he could see as another large bridge up ahead. He could hear her sigh quietly to herself as her footsteps fell in line with his.

He just wanted to get this over with. Maybe if he could seal the stupid tear in the sky, he could still slip away and fade away from the keen eyes of his pursuers. Maybe even if he was lucky, Cassandra could prove useful and unwittingly provide him a means to escape his life on the run indefinitely. However that was something he wouldn't worry about at the present moment.

As the pair came upon the bridge, Ma'rel allowed Cassandra to once again take lead. There was no advantage in making the guards stationed on the other side thinking he was trying to escape. So in order to maintain their fragile peace he slowed and allowed her to pass before following himself at a respectful distance.

And their footsteps echoed silently on the stone, neither of them could have foreseen what would happen next. The sky pulsated once more followed by a loud explosion. Before either of them could even turn their heads in reaction, a ball of unstable energy rocketed towards them and violently crashed into the bridge.

Below them, the structure gave way and crumbled beneath their feet as the stone ruptured and crumbled towards the frozen earth below. A startled yelp escaped their lips as they were forced down below with the infrastructure.

As they fell, Ma'rel couldn't help but reach out his hand towards the woman in a vain attempt to help lessen the impact. He would deny such an action if asked, but even he didn't want to see his only source of answers become permanently injured or debilitated.

With a soft thud, the two rolled onto a deeply frozen river, the ice biting into his exposed skin as he tried to regain his senses. Cassandra recovered first from their unexpected detour, he noted, their bodies having just rolled down a small mountain of snow and debris. The unsheathing of her weapon and shielding hitting his ears as he himself stood up shakenly and looked around.

Her back was to him, facing a small crater where the pulse had cracked open the previously frozen river and unleashed a slew of demons. She stood firm in and ready for the assault, even despite the overwhelming odds that she now currently faced.

He inhaled the bitterly cold air sharply as he quickly scanned his surroundings and couldn't help but silently thank his luck as his gaze landed on a staff lying discarded nearby. He quickly moved forward and grasped it, a ghost of a smile gracing his features ever so briefly as felt his connection with the channeled magic inside.

Ignoring the corpse nearby in favor of the sounds of fighting from his newly appointed traveling companion, he returned his attention to the fighting woman and small hoard of freshly spawned demons. Such distractions, such as the already deceased, would not serve either of them right now after all and would only result in them joining the nameless dead.

So with a deep breath, he allowed the lyrium in his body to flow, gritting his teeth in discomfort as he did so. His body felt like it was on fire as the energy coursed through his body and into his newly acquired staff. He watched in silent awe, just as he had countless times before, as the crystal atop it glowed for a moment before hurling a fireball towards the aggressors.

Cassandra tensed for a split second as the controlled flame exploded near her body but quickly recovered and resumed her assault. The elf wrote her brief tension off as surprise, having not expected the action without so much as a warning. It's not like he ever implied he was an apostate, an illegal mage, or showed any sign of magic in their brief conversations.

As another fireball erupted from his staff, he let out a sharp exhale. His blood boiled from the heat coursing through his veins, a direct result from his magic. It was a cost he paid for his abilities, a fair trade off in his mind.

Wiping off a stray bead of sweat, he took the small opportunity to survey the battlefield.

The demons number were now much more manageable, only a couple remaining, due to the combined efforts of Cassandra and himself. However, he noted that the ice that surrounded the woman was starting to thin and crack, a direct result from the constant shifts in weight and barrage of fire.

Even with the few that were remaining, he could not guarantee the integrity of the frozen water. He didn't want to risk sending another fireball in their direction and causing the stress of it all to bring not only the dark haired female into the frigid waters below, but also himself.

So with that in mind, he allowed himself a moment to channel the lyrium that was flooding his veins into a different direction. Within a fracture of a second, the burning that overloaded his senses subsided and was replaced with an acute piercing sensation as electricity raced throughout him. He could only grit his teeth slightly as he had no time to focus on the pain, the energy building up in his crystaled staff before shooting out a bolt of chain lightning to the remaining two demons.

He watched as the bolt of electricity made contact with the nearest demon before jumping toward the other. Cassandra moves back, making sure to get out the line of fire and lowered her sword as the electricity coursed through the shades.

After a moment, making sure the two electrocuted demons that were beginning to smoke and smoulder were not an immediate threat, he cautiously walked closer to the woman. The shifting of the ice made him uneasy at best but he forced himself to relax as he stopped a few feet away from her.

By this point, the demons were reduced to nothing but ashes, their dying shrieks echoing in the air before the disintegrated into nothing. However despite the lack of any immediate threat now, Ma'rel could see that Cassandra was still tense. As he opened his mouth to question her alert stature, he was caught unprepared as she quickly spun around and faced him, her sword raised to his neck.

"Drop your weapon." She demanded, taking a cautious step closer to him.

Standing his ground as she approached him slowly, he couldn't help but be amused at the sudden aggression from her. He wasn't surprised at all, he was a prisoner of hers after all, so this turn of events was to be slightly expected. After all, who wants a prisoner running around armed, especially an apostate of all things.

"Alas I don't need the staff to be dangerous but if it will make you feel better nonetheless.." he remarked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he bent forward, intending to place the staff down. While he did so, he kept an eye on her expression, in case he needed to defend himself against her if she were to attack.

However it was not needed as she instead scoffed in what he could imagine was annoyance and spoke, "wait."

He paused and cocked an eyebrow quietly, silently allowing her to continue with what she was going to say.

"I should remember you didn't try to escape and..." she paused and shook her head as she trailed off before continuing, "I cannot protect you from the demons completely, keep the staff, while I know you don't need it, you should still have it."

As she finished her statement, she sheathed her weapon, giving him a gesture that she meant no ill will or had any intention for trickery. He hesitated at this but straightened his posture back up after a moment, his gaze never leaving hers while he did so.

"You have just as right as anyone else to defend yourself," she continued after a brief moment of tense silence, "take these, I doubt this will be the last fight we get into during our little...detour."

She unclipped a small satule from her waist and extended it out to him. He sheathed his staff, strapping it to his back, before grasping the bag quietly and pulling it closer to him before opening it up to preview it's contents.

Inside the bag were about eight securely sealed glass vials filled to the brim with a bright red liquid. Taking on out he lifted it up to his face and studied the liquid curiously. He knew not what it was, obviously it was something that was supposed to aid him in their travels but other than that, he had no idea. It didn't remind him of anything he had seen back in the Dalish Clan that he had originated from.

"It is a healing potion, used to heal major wounds whilst in a fight." Cassandra said, noting his confusion.

"I see…" Ma'rel muttered as he placed the small vial back in the satule and clipped it to his frayed pants.

After making sure that the satule was secure and wouldn't fall from his side, he glanced at the woman and silently nodded his head in acknowledgement. She sighed in response and turned to start walking up the nearby snowy slope before pausing and glancing back at him to make sure he was following. He blinked at her and started up after her before following suit.

* * *

The two traveled the winding snowy slopes in relative silence as Ma'rel studied the surroundings around him. They followed the frozen river mostly, fires from explosions of the Breach dotting the winding landscapes. As they traveled, they came across more waves of demons and wraiths. These following battles, however, were less climatic than the first one, now that Cassandra was accepting that her prisoner was armed.

Ma'rel used their time to study her fighting tactics while he dealt damage from a safer distance. The albino could admit to himself that the woman was highly skilled and not brashly running into each fire fight. She instead attempted to use some kind of subtle strategy to her attacks.

This, in turn, made his life easier as he wasn't having to worry about if she was going to get in the way of one of his spells. The last thing that he needed was her getting caught by a stray fireball or getting in the crossfire of the electricity coming from his staff.

Another perk of being in the back was he grimace without the female warrior noticing or questioning it. He did not want her to see him in any more pain than she already had, if nothing more than his pride's sake. That and he didn't want the lyrium induced markings on his body activating unintentionally from the constant firefight and have any more unnecessary attention than was already directed to him, placed on him. Being an apostate was bad enough, having some unknown and potentially hazardous little trick could spell disaster.

As they finished another small wave of demons, he sheathed his staff and walked up to the woman. She was coated in blood and snow and was breathing heavily from excursion.

"Here." He muttered as he reached into the satule attached to his hip. Grabbing a vial he extended his hand out in a silent gesture of offering. Cassandra looked at him as he did so, arching one of her eyebrows for a moment in slight confusion and surprise, before taking it.

She quickly popped the top off the vial and downed the contents inside, grimacing at what he presumed to be a bitter taste, before screwing it closed again and handing him the empty vial. He took it without saying a word, placing the now empty glass back into the satule, not knowing what else to do with it.

"Um, thanks." She muttered as she wiped her face of invisible liquid. With each passing second, Ma'rel could see the woman become more and more alert, with superficial wounds slowly healing in turn.

"Don't mention it, seriously don't," he said as he closed his satule and turned away towards the next snowy slope they were to ascend, "besides it wouldn't help my case if you were to die on me here."

Without another word, the albino apostate started up the slope, taking the lead for a change. Behind him, another pair of footsteps crunched into the snow, signaling that the woman started following him.

As they made their way up the steep hill, he couldn't help but mull over his last words. It wasn't that he wanted to come across as an asshole but at the same time, he knew that she was only tolerating him as a means to an end. That being said, there was zero reason to trust her.

A loud explosion followed by shouting and yelling up ahead pulled him out of his thoughts and he paused midstride. He glanced around and at Cassandra, the woman having stopped next to him. The sounds of fighting continued, metal coming in contact with flesh and the sounds of spells being former and casted towards unseen enemies filling the air.

"We are getting close to the rift, c'mon we must help them." Cassandra said as she started up the snow covered stone stairs once more.

"Wait!" Ma'rel said, not expecting the woman to burst into a slow sprint. As he attempted to match her pace he unsheathed his staff and continued, "who's fighting?"

"You'll see." Was also she responded with as she quickly made her way to the top, the apostate following shortly behind.

She didn't pause to wait for him as she made it to the top and he watched as she jumped off a crumbling stone wall into the midst of the fray.

So instead of complaining he followed, gritting his teeth suddenly as the pain in his arm once again as he jumped down after his companion. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the the concentration of green energy erupting from his marked hand once again. However that was not what had his attention.

While the pain was blinding almost, what had him floored was the rift that stood in the middle of the makeshift battlefield. All around the tear, one that mirrored the much larger one that was expanding in the sky, demons and soldiers foughts relentlessly.

Not wanting to waste anymore time though, he shook his racing thoughts to a halt and focused on the battle at hand. Carefully, as to minimize harming the soldiers that were attacking the shades and wraiths, he channeled his focus back into his staff and let loose a barrage of electricity.

His electrical blasts came out in short bursts, combining with the ice based one from somewhere behind him. While it surprised him at first, as he had not been expecting another mage to be in the vicinity, he didn't question it. Instead he focused on the endless waves of enemies.

As time went on, and the battle raged, many of the soldiers that had been aiding Cassandra and Ma'rel fell to the demons that spewed out of the rift. From what he could tell, other than himself and his companion, there were only two remaining, a dwarf with a weird looking crossbow and the apostate he had acknowledged earlier, a fellow elf from his brief glance at him. He knew this couldn't keep up forever, something had to give. Whether it be the last of his allies falling to the demons or even himself collapsing from exertion.

However, after what felt like eternity, there was a slight break and the demons slowly starting to thin out, fewer and fewer popping up out of the rift with each passing wave. That was why, when the other elf suddenly appeared behind him and forcefully grabbed Ma'rel's marked arm he was caught off guard. Part of him had wanted to deck the fellow mage instinctively but wasn't able to as the one holding his limb pulled it forward, the rift seemingly engulfing it.

What he felt next was nothing short of weird and unearthly. The mark on his hand burned of course, but it wasn't painful like it had been up until this point when exposed to the rift or expanding breach. Instead, it was almost like a tugging and to tingling sensation overtook it. As of his flesh was being peeled off, numbed by some foreign anesthetic, while it did so.

It only lasted for a moment, the whole process, even though to him it felt like eons, and the next he knew, the rift was dissipating before his eyes. As it did so, the other mage released his arm and took a step back, a smile gracing his features as he did so.

Ma'rel jerked his now free arm back and stood in awe at what had just happened. The smaller rift had been closed, effectively sealing off any demons from entering through the weakened veil.

"It seems that theory is correct, your mark holds the key to closing rifts," the elven man said.

"Then it is possible that it can close the Breach itself." Cassandra said as she walked up to the two. While the elven man nodded in response, another voice from behind spoke up as well.

"And just when I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever," a third party chimed in.

Ma'rel kept quiet, catching his breath, and instead used that time to finally study the two other allies that had joined the duo. The bald elven man, the one who had grasped his arm and pulled it into the now dissipated rift, was pale in skin with light tan robing on. From the rough state of them, he could tell that the fellow apostate, made evident by the staff, did a lot of traveling opposed to staying in one place.

The other man was the dwarf he had seen earlier with the large odd looking crossbow. He had light red hair with stubble around his face. He wore a light tan coat with a dark red shirt underneath, however it was unbuttoned, exposing his bare chest that was covered in thick chest hair.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," The dwarf said, giving him a smile, "didn't think I would see you here Fenris."

"I- who?" Ma'rel asked, tension lacing his voice as he blinked his gaze away from the dwarf uncomfortably.

"My apologies kid, I thought you were someone else, you look just like him, though I should've known better, he wasn't a mage - hated them frankly. Anyways, I am Varric Tethras, rouge, story teller, and occasional unwelcome tag-along." He said with a cheeky smile, giving Cassandra a wink. The woman scoffed in disgust.

"Ma'rel." He muttered in response with a curt nod. He didn't want to come across as rude but at the same time he didn't want to give away any information that he may end up regretting at a later date.

The dwarf looked and studied him with a gaze that told him that he wanted to add something to his previous comment. Though as they stood in momentary silence, however, and before he could do so, Ma'rel turned his gaze to the other elf, the apostate that had forcefully grabbed his arm. Whatever it was Varric wanted, the albino just knew that it was something that he didn't want third parties hearing.

"How did you do that? Close the rift that is." Ma'rel asked. He got a chuckle in response from the elven man as he looked at the albino in amusement.

"I did nothing, it was all you, I merely had a theory after studying that mark on your hand, one that was proven correct it seems. I am glad to see you still live though." He said with a small smile.

"What he means is he's the one who kept you alive while you slept." Varric chimed in from behind.

"Right, anyways I am Solas, since we are all giving introductions," the apostate said, "and like I said I merely theorized that the mark could close the rifts and maybe even the Breach itself based off my studies in the Fade."

"You studied _in_ the Fade?" Ma'rel asked, curiosity getting the better of him. While he was a mage himself, and thus no stranger to the Fade and its residents, he couldn't see himself willingly entering the Fade on his own accord.

"Like you, Solas is an apostate," Cassandra remarked from behind. Ma'rel glanced back at the woman and arched an eyebrow.

"Really? Here I was thinking the staff was just some fancy bow and arrow." The albino said with a roll of the eyes. Cassandra scoffed in response and muttered something under her breath but said nothing else.

"I believe we are all apostates now," Solas said, grabbing Ma'rel's attention once more, "but I digress, we can speak of this another time, when the Breach has been sealed and the demons dealt with."

"Exactly, but first we need to make it to the forward camp and meet up with Leliana." Cassandra said as she started walking towards a nearby staircase, one that was obscured by fallen planks. As she vaulted over, she paused and glanced back at the remaining three. Solas followed first, not wasting any time as he climbed over the ledge and stood next to Cassandra, gazing out into the distance.

"C'mon kid," Varric gave the albino a pat on the arm as he walked by before following the woman and apostate in getting over the planks. The dwarf said something to the woman, she scoffed in response, not humoring the shorter man with further words

As the three waited for him, Ma'rel took the brief moment to glance around and exhale sharply through his nose. He couldn't help but frown slightly at the sight of the dead soldiers that littered the ground, their blood soaking the cobblestone around him. How many people were throwing their lives away for some futile war? How many were still clinging to life with some vain sense of hope that he would be able to help? He didn't want to be their saviour, he didn't even think that he would be able to save them.

These thoughts swirled in his head and he couldn't help but let out a deep breath. As he glanced at his marked arm, he could make out the lyrium infused scars beneath the small green tendrils. He wasn't a hero, but he also didn't have a choice in the matter. None of them did.

But, he realized, it didn't matter what he thought. These people would force him to be some hero or damn him if - when he failed. He was screwed either way it seemed.

Deciding he didn't have a choice either way in the matter, he let out another soft sigh. Lowering his marked arm back to his side, he stepped forward, his bare foot crunching in the snow as he did so. They would realize their foolishness eventually, whether it was sooner or later was yet to be determined. So it was, with one more glance towards the Breach that swirled menacingly in the sky, he continued forward and jumped over the fallen planks.

* * *

**So it didn't take as long as I originally thought, who'd thought. Anyways I figure it will probably be once a month that I update this thing cause I am juggling my lack of personal life and work on top of this. Thanks again for reading the chapter and continuing to give it a chance, I'm sure this isn't the next big hit but its fun and it kills the time.**

**That and I appreciate each and every one of you guys who takes the time to read it. Anyways at risk of rambling for far too long, I will go.**

**Thanks once again. **

**-Xana**


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